Exam 15: Alterations in Cognitive Systems, Cerebral Hemodynamics, and Motor Function

A patient presents to the emergency room (ER)reporting excessive vomiting.A CT scan of the brain reveals a mass in the:

A 40-year-old male complains of uncontrolled excessive movement and progressive dysfunction of intellectual and thought processes.He is experiencing movement problems that begin in the face and arms and eventually affect the entire body.The most likely diagnosis is:

A nurse notes that a patient walks with the leg extended and held stiff, causing a scraping over the floor surface.What type of gait is the patient experiencing?

Spinal shock is characterized by:

A patient is admitted to the neurological critical care unit with a severe closed head injury.All four extremities are in rigid extension, the forearms are hyperpronated, and the legs are in plantar extension.How should the nurse chart this condition?

A patient experiences a stroke and now has difficulty writing and producing language.This condition is most likely caused by occlusion of the:

A 70-year-old patient is being closely monitored in the neurological critical care unit for a severe closed head injury.After 48 hours, signs of deterioration occur: pupils are small and sluggish, pulse pressure is widening, and heart rate is bradycardic.These clinical findings are evidence of what stage of intracranial hypertension?

An infant is diagnosed with noncommunicating hydrocephalus.What is an immediate priority concern for this patient?

A patient with an addiction to alcohol checked into a rehabilitation center as a result of experiencing delirium, inability to concentrate, and being easily distracted.What term would be used to document this state?

The progress notes read: the cerebellar tonsil has shifted through the foramen magnum due to increased pressure within the posterior fossa.The nurse would identify this note as a description of _____ herniation.

A patient is admitted to the neurological critical care unit with a severe closed head injury.When an intraventricular catheter is inserted, the intracranial pressure (ICP)is recorded at 24 mm Hg.How should the nurse interpret this reading?

A patient experiences a severe head injury hitting a tree while riding a motorcycle.Breathing becomes deep and rapid but with normal pattern.What term should the nurse use for this condition?

The patient is experiencing an increase in intracranial pressure.This increase results in:

When thought content and arousal level are intact but a patient cannot communicate and is immobile, the patient is experiencing:

What term is used to describe an explosive, disorderly discharge of cortical neurons?

A patient has paralysis of both legs.What type of paralysis does the patient have?

A 65-year-old patient who recently suffered a cerebral vascular accident is now unable to recognize and identify objects by touch because of injury to the sensory cortex.How should the nurse document this finding?

A patient reports tiring easily, having difficulty rising from a sitting position, and the inability to stand on toes.The nurse would expect a diagnosis of:

A compensatory alteration in the diameter of cerebral blood vessels in response to increased intracranial pressure is called:

The primary care provider states that the patient is experiencing vasogenic edema.The nurse realizes vasogenic edema is clinically important because: